The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally got the offensive arsenal they’ve been waiting on all season - and then barely used it.
For the first time all year, the Bucs had all four of their top receivers on the field together in Week 14 against the Falcons. Mike Evans looked like his usual dominant self, hauling in six catches for 132 yards.
Chris Godwin found the end zone and tacked on a two-point conversion. Rookie Jalen McMillan, returning from a serious neck injury that sidelined him since the preseason, made a pair of grabs for 38 yards, nearly scoring on a 19-yard catch.
Emeka Egbuka added four receptions for 64 yards.
That kind of firepower should’ve made Tampa Bay’s offense feel like a loaded weapon. Instead, one week later in Carolina, they left it holstered.
In a 23-20 loss to the Panthers, offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard leaned heavily into the run game - perhaps too heavily. The Bucs hit their internal benchmark of 30-plus rushing attempts, finishing with 33 carries for 169 yards.
On paper, that’s a solid 5.1 yards per carry. But dig a little deeper, and the numbers lose their shine.
Rachaad White broke off a 39-yard run in the second quarter. Take that one play out, and the average drops to 4.1 yards.
Factor in Baker Mayfield’s four scrambles for 49 yards, and the picture shifts even more. The Bucs were committed to running the ball - and they did - but it didn’t translate on the scoreboard.
Meanwhile, the passing game was all but shelved. Mayfield finished with just 145 yards on 18-of-26 passing, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt.
Remove a single 40-yard completion to Egbuka - which, notably, didn’t lead to points - and that average dips to 4.2. Evans managed just 31 receiving yards, Godwin 30, McMillan 15.
Egbuka had the one big play, but only saw one other target the entire game.
It wasn’t just about production - it was about usage. Tampa Bay’s first 10 first-down plays?
Nine were runs. The lone exception was a 1-yard fade to Evans for a touchdown on the opening drive.
After that, the Bucs became predictable - and the Panthers defense adjusted accordingly.
Head coach Todd Bowles defended the approach, pointing to past success against Carolina when Tampa ran the ball 40 and 39 times in two wins last year. “We didn’t have to get it.
We wanted to,” Bowles said. “It was a formula for us that worked last year… We were right there.
We did everything we wanted to do. We controlled every category except for the turnover battle at the end, and we lost the ball game.”
But that’s just it. They did everything - except score enough points to win.
Bowles emphasized balance, saying the team tries to get the ball to its stars while still establishing the run. But when your offensive stars are paid like stars - Evans and Godwin combine for $42.5 million - and your quarterback is making $33 million per year, it’s fair to wonder why they weren’t more involved. Add in two high draft picks at wide receiver and a pair of big-money tackles in Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke, and it’s clear this offense was built to do more than just churn out first-down runs.
And while the offensive approach raised eyebrows, Bowles’ defensive play call just before halftime might’ve been even more puzzling. With Carolina out of timeouts and facing 2nd-and-2 from the Bucs' 22-yard line with 12 seconds left in the half, Tampa sent a Cover Zero blitz - essentially an all-out pressure look with no safety help behind it.
The gamble backfired. Bryce Young took the shot, and Tetairoa McMillan beat corner Jamel Dean one-on-one for a touchdown.
“(Dean) could have played it better,” Bowles said. “The blitz should have got home… It was bad technique and play on his part.
The ball should have never happened. He was by himself.
He should have been off and deeper, and we talked about it.”
It was a moment that summed up the Bucs' day: aggressive intentions, questionable execution, and a result that left them needing help to reach the postseason.
Now, it’s do-or-die. Tampa Bay travels to Miami this Sunday in a game that could determine their playoff fate - unless Carolina loses to Seattle, which would open another path. Either way, the Bucs know the margin for error is gone.
“We understand we control our own destiny, but our biggest enemy right now is us,” Bowles said. “We’ll focus on the things we can do better as coaches and players, and we’ll go into the game against Miami.”
The Bucs have the talent. They’ve got the weapons. But to keep their season alive, they’ll need to use them.